Twenty-one Baltimore-area basketball players were freshmen at Division I programs during the 2010-11 season. This fall, 20 local players from the 2011 class have joined those DI hoops ranks. Will the 2012 class come close to approaching those numbers? I'll take a closer look at the area's best seniors below this chart of Baltimore's DI freshmen.

Continue reading "Overview of Baltimore's 2012 hoops class" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

Ever since high school, Stanton Kidd has played with a "huge chip" on his shoulder.

The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward was lightly recruited out of Edmondson, overlooked in favor of some of his more highly ranked Baltimore City classmates, and largely forgotten when he left town for junior college in the summer of 2010.

“Coming from Baltimore, with all the talent we’ve got -- Josh Selby, Will Barton, Roscoe Smith, C.J. Fair -- it’s hard coming out of that world because they were the big focus,” Kidd said. “I had my fame there, too. Guys knew I could ball. But I kind of got overlooked from the spotlight.”

At JUCO powerhouse South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, Kidd got his chance to shine. While he hasn’t been the centerpiece of the Texans like he was with the Red Storm, Kidd has received ample opportunities to prove to Division I programs that he could play at that level.

On Wednesday, Kidd’s persistence with the game paid off. The former Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro player signed a letter of intent to attend North Carolina Central.

“It feels good to know that you’ve got somewhere to go after junior college,” Kidd said. “I just fell in love with [North Carolina Central on] the visit. I went home, thought about it for awhile. I had a couple other schools that wanted me. But I had to go [someplace where I wouldn’t] play in nobody’s shadow. With me going to N.C. Central now, I’m going to be in the spotlight. It’s going to be a real experience for me. Now I can take the game-winning shot, get my teammates involved and make plays.”

Continue reading "Stanton Kidd signs with North Carolina Central" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

Over the past few years Crusader Nation has been one of Baltimore's top producers of Division I basketball talent. But the local summer-league program isn't limited to having players just from the Charm City area. Marcellous Bell is an example of that.

Bell, a 6-foot-1, 165-pound senior from DeMatha, was Crusader Nation’s primary ball-handler over the summer. Thanks to his play on the circuit, the Bowie resident received interest from Binghamton, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris and Stony Brook, before ultimately committing to the Bearcats earlier this month.

“The thing about Binghamton getting him is that they got an extremely smart guard,” said Crusader Nation coach Fred McCathorine. “Basketball-wise, school-wise, it’s the whole nine yards. Marcellous understands when to push the ball. He’s one kid on our team who I’ve said will someday down the line be a coach, because he’s just that smart about the game.”

Continue reading "Marcellous Bell talks Binghamton pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

It was difficult for Cliff Cornish to sort through all the interest he was receiving from various Division I college basketball programs.

The 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward from North County was recruited by Boston University, Central Connecticut State, Kent State, La Salle, Morgan State and Stony Brook, among others. But one program – High Point – quickly stood out from all the rest.

“They saw him … at every tournament we played in, from West Virginia to Vegas to L.A.,” said Fred McCathorine, Cornish’s coach with the Crusader Nation basketball program. “They got to see him play a lot of games – six in West Virginia, eight in Vegas and nine in L.A. They got to see a lot of Cliff Cornish play.”

Cornish couldn’t help but notice the intensity of the Panthers staff’s pursuit. After making two trips – an unofficial and an official visit – to the North Carolina school, Cornish’s mind was made up. He committed to High Point late last week.

“I’m still happy with my decision,” Cornish said. “I knew I was going there as soon as I [visited]. It just felt right as soon as I stepped on campus after talking with the coaches and players.”

Continue reading "North County's Cliff Cornish to High Point" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

With the first exhibition games being played this week, the 2011-12 college basketball season is officially under way.

Last season, the Baltimore area was well-represented in college hoops, with 66 players from here on Division I rosters. There will be even more to follow this year.

By my count, 71 local players -- from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County -- are playing for DI programs this season.

Morgan State leads the way with four local products, while DePaul and Loyola have three apiece. Bryant, Georgetown, High Point, Maryland, Memphis, Navy, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Quinnipiac and UMBC each have two Baltimore-area players.

Check out the complete list below, and leave a comment or shoot me an email if there's anyone I missed.

Continue reading "Baltimore's Division I hoops players for 2011-12" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

Phillip Lawrence had a clear objective heading into his official visit to Marist over the weekend.

The Mount St. Joseph senior wasn’t looking to be swayed by the Red Foxes coaching staff or wowed by the Poughkeepsie, N.Y., campus. A decision from Lawrence – who unofficially visited the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school in August – had already been made.

“Oh, I was going to commit,” Lawrence said. “I just wanted to make the commitment [on my] official and make it more meaningful. And I wanted my mother and my grandmother to see [the campus]. They saw it and loved it there. They loved everything.”

With his family’s seal of approval, Lawrence gladly accepted Marist’s scholarship on Saturday, picking the Red Foxes over offers from Jacksonville, Loyola, Radford, Rider and Siena.

Continue reading "Gaels' Phillip Lawrence talks Marist pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

Bouncing from one friend's apartment to another and just scraping to get by was not at all what Antoine Allen envisioned for himself when he gave up a promising basketball career for a shot at hip-hop stardom.

Over a two-year span, Allen went from playing at college basketball's highest level to near-homelessness.

“I didn’t want my family to know anything,” said Allen, a 2008 Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selection from Lake Clifton. “I told them one thing, but I knew what it really was. Things [were] going rough, but I didn’t want my family to worry. It was very hard. I went through so much.”

While Allen’s family – including his two-year-old son Chaise – was kept in the dark about his living situation, the former Lakers star eventually started to have second thoughts about giving up on his education. What finally brought Allen back from the brink of destitution was his self-professed first love: basketball.

“I know how much it meant to my family, just for me to continue to play basketball and even get my degree,” Allen said. “I have talent, man, and I just felt I was wasting it. I didn’t want to waste it. I was going through a lot. But you live and you learn. I’m the first guy in my family to ever go to college. I can’t let that go. That’s big on me. I just feel I have something else to accomplish for myself and my family.”

On Monday, Allen took a major step in securing a better future for his family by committing to South Alabama – a Sun Belt Conference program that last made the NCAA tournament in 2008.

“I just think it’s a great choice,” said Butch Estes, Allen’s coach at Palm Beach (Fla.) State College. “He saw there were some connections that he can make there and I think he’ll return to the music industry when he’s done [with basketball]. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made it in the hip hop scene. He’s got the possibility of really being big-time some day.”

Getting back to Division I basketball has been a long time coming for Allen. But his long-awaited return to the game shouldn’t be a surprise to those who knew him best back home.

Continue reading "Antoine Allen takes long road back to DI hoops" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

DeonTay McManus committed to West Virginia in June, but was up front in his intentions to take trips to other schools.

Now the time has come for the Dunbar senior wide receiver to start taking his five official visits.

“We’re setting them up this week,” Dunbar coach Lawrence Smith said Tuesday. “He is a solid commitment to West Virginia. The coaches are fine” with McManus taking visits elsewhere.

Smith said McManus plans to make trips to Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Oregon and West Virginia.

McManus, a four-star prospect and Rivals.com's No. 165 player nationally, has helped the No. 7 Poets to a 5-1 record this season. In the classroom, Smith said McManus’ GPA is up to a 2.8, putting him in good position to meet NCAA qualifying standards.

“He’s going to be ready to go,” said Smith, who added that McManus is under consideration for the Under Armour All-America Game in January.

Continue reading "Dunbar football notes: McManus lines up visits" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Any questions Jordan Floyd may have had about the Connecticut football program had been answered long ago.

The Loyola safety and wide receiver saw a Huskies spring practice last April, and was comfortable with the coaching staff’s plans for him in their secondary.

But before Floyd could offer his pledge to Paul Pasqualoni’s program, he needed a little more information about what Connecticut had to offer off the field.

“My parents and I had a couple questions academically. We went up there [Friday] and talked to the academic advisers,” Floyd said. “They don’t have a criminal justice major, but you can individualize your major, which is basically … [putting] a lot of classes together and creating your own major, which is what I really want to do. … They answered all of our questions. After that, it was a done deal.”

Floyd committed to UConn before its 24-20 loss to Iowa State on Friday night. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound senior picked the Huskies over offers from Marshall, Maryland and Temple.

Continue reading "Loyola's Jordan Floyd talks UConn commitment" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

By the end of Isaiah Miles' freshman year at Glenelg Country School, the athletically precocious 6-foot-7 forward was a well-known prospect to college basketball recruiters across the country.

Coaches from high- and mid-major programs frequented GCS open gyms to get a look at Miles. Included in that early group of interested parties was St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli, who continued to track Miles’ progress over the next two years of his high school career.

On Friday night Miles, now a senior at Milford Mill, rewarded Martelli’s persistence with a commitment.

“From the beginning, I could tell they wanted me,” Miles said. “Coach Phil Martelli showed me his interest was strong from the beginning. He kept it through all four of my years. … [So] it feels good. It’s a lot of pressure off me now. Now I can play basketball, not worry about colleges looking at me and work at getting myself better in the gym.”

Miles, who averaged 18.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.75 blocks and one steal for Glenelg Country as a junior, also considered Drexel, La Salle, Loyola, North Carolina State, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, South Florida, Towson and Western Kentucky.

Continue reading "Isaiah Miles discusses his St. Joseph's pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

A list that started with more than 40 schools was eventually pared down to 10. Countless conversations with college coaches and interviews with media outlets took place during that process, and will continue to occur throughout the next several months. But for Cyrus Jones, the chaotic existence of being a highly coveted four-star recruit has never been a bother.

“It wasn’t as hectic as I thought it was going to be. I think I’ve managed it well,” said Jones, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound wide receiver and cornerback. “It’s a pretty enjoyable process. It’s stressful at times, with calls and things like that. But it’s been reassuring, just to see my hard work paying off.”

Jones has picked up right where Virginia freshman Darius Jennings – his former Gilman teammate – left off as Baltimore’s most heavily recruited senior football prospect. For proof of that, look no further than Jones’ Top 10: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

A high-profile recruitment is something Jones has gotten used to over time. Thanks to an All-Metro 2010 season at cornerback in which he also accumulated 1,240 all-purpose yards and scored nine touchdowns running, receiving and returning kicks, Jones earned most of his scholarship offers before winter break of his junior year.

“You pretty much know when you get offers, the schools you’re going to be strongly interested in,” Jones said. “Coming into the process, there are schools that catch your eye. ... You weed through the first ones, focus on schools you’re seriously interested in. It’s going pretty well.”

Continue reading "Gilman's Cyrus Jones taking his time" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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After transferring from Villanova last week, Isaiah Armwood didn't waste any time in finding a new school. The Baltimore native and 2009 Montrose Christian grad committed to George Washington on Wednesday night.

“[George Washington] just kept sticking in my head more than any other schools,” Armwood said Thursday. “It just came down to a decision I had to make that was best for me. GW is what was best for me. … The campus, it was not too far from home. And GW is a great school. I came from a great school in Villanova as well. That always stuck in the back of my mind.”

Armwood, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward, also visited Maryland and was interested in Iowa, Texas Tech and Virginia. But GW presented Armwood with an opportunity to be part of a new era under former Vermont coach and Maryland assistant Mike Lonergan.

“Coach Lonergan, he doesn’t want to limit his players,” Armwood said. “[His players] can just express everything they can on the court. With this year off, it’s just an opportunity to expand my game even more.”

Continue reading "Isaiah Armwood talks George Washington pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

Daquein McNeil left Baltimore last summer to spend his sophomore year at Vermont Academy in sleepy Saxtons River, Vt.

When the 6-foot-3, 170-pound combo guard returned to Charm City in the spring, he did so with an improved game, an elevated profile and a notable difference in his “maturity level.” McNeil put what he learned in Vermont to practice all spring and summer long on the circuit with Nike Baltimore Elite’s 17-and-under team.

“Even though I’m like the youngest one on the team, I’m kind of like the big brother,” McNeil said Saturday after the Bmorehoops.com National All-Star Game at The Dome. “[I try to] keep everyone in sync so everything’s going good.”

Coming off a sophomore season in which he was ranked the No. 5 player in New England for his class and the No. 1 player in Vermont, McNeil picked up where he left off with Nike Baltimore Elite. Despite his youth, he emerged as a go-to scorer for the team and a legitimate high-major recruit.

Continue reading "Daquein McNeil living up to the hype" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

A summer spent in Pennsylvania was just what Phillip Lawrence needed to raise his profile.

Lawrence, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound forward from Mount St. Joseph, lived with his father in Philadelphia and spent the spring and summer on the circuit with Philly’s Finest.

“It went great,” Lawrence said Saturday after the Bmorehoops.com American All-Star Game at The Dome. “I had a great summer, I got a lot more looks, a couple offers. And the team was good overall. I played with Amile Jefferson.”

Continue reading "Gaels' Phillip Lawrence has Division I options" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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A European vacation turned out to be Isaiah Armwood's farewell tour with Villanova.

Armwood, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from Baltimore, decided shortly after the Wildcats returned from their foreign tour this week that he would be transferring from the Big East school.

“Me and Coach [Jay] Wright sat down, I’d say three or four days ago. We made the decision -- the best decision for me -- to transfer and leave Villanova,” Armwood told Recruiting Report today. “It was very hard. I didn’t want to leave because I’ve been there for so long. I’m so adapted to the people there.”

Armwood, a Montrose Christian grad, played sparingly as an underclassman. He averaged 2.5 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17 minutes per game as a sophomore for the Wildcats. But heading into his junior season, Armwood was named a team captain and started every game for Villanova overseas this month. The Wildcats played five games in France and the Netherlands from Aug. 9-14.

Continue reading "Armwood talks transfer, potential destinations" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

Southern forward Cody Joyce received an eye-opening introduction to college basketball this summer when he accepted a scholarship from Marist only to be told two days later that the offer had been rescinded.

“I give him a lot of credit,” said Will Maynard, a longtime Southern assistant who took over as head coach this month. “He was upset for a couple days, which is to be expected. But he took the mentality that if one school offered me a Division I scholarship, you know what? I can get another one.”

Joyce took the next step toward a potential DI future this week by signing on to do a post-grad year at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va. Joyce will play for a former teammate of Maynard’s at Shepherd University in Chad Meyers.

Continue reading "Southern's Joyce, Harris to team up again" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Every so often during his junior year at St. Frances, Sam Cassell Jr. showed flashes of high-major potential.

After leaving the Panthers to spend his senior year at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., moments where Cassell looked like a future big-time college player became increasingly regular. A standout summer on the circuit with Nike Baltimore Elite subsequently vaulted the 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard to a different level of attention from colleges.

“Right now I’m getting interest from [schools in] the Big East, ACC and SEC,” Cassell said Monday. “I always dreamed about it and it’s coming true.”

Cassell, who will return to Notre Dame Prep this fall for a postgrad year, said he grew “an inch-and-a-half” and added “probably 15, 20 pounds” of muscle over the past year. He said he averaged “around 14 or 15 points and … six assists” for the Crusaders, demonstrating an assertiveness his game may have lacked earlier in his high school career.

Continue reading "Sam Cassell Jr. emerges as 'a high-major talent'" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Dante Holmes' college career will unfold more than 1,000 miles away from his home, but there will be no shortage of Baltimore influences on the former St. Frances star at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Holmes, a two-time Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection who signed with the Eagles on Friday, will play for a head coach who is Johns Hopkins' all-time leading scorer and an assistant who is considered one of Charm City's most accomplished point guards.

Andy Enfield, who landed the FGCU job after five seasons as an assistant at Florida State, scored 2,025 career points for the Blue Jays and finished his Hopkins career by setting an NCAA career record for best free-throw percentage (92.5 percent). Kevin Norris, who will serve as Enfield's top assistant after one year at UNC-Wilmington, was a standout point guard at Lake Clifton before starring for four seasons at Miami.

Both coaches were instrumental in Holmes' decision to sign with Florida Gulf Coast, a Division I program in Fort Myers, Fla., that competes in the Atlantic Sun conference.

"The first thing that came to mind was loyalty," Holmes said Saturday. "The first day [Enfield] got the job, I got the first scholarship, the first offer."

Continue reading "St. Frances grad Dante Holmes makes his pick" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Greg Pyke was on his way to make a visit to Virginia Tech Thursday, when the Boys' Latin senior offensive tackle and his parents heard a report on the radio about a man carrying a gun at the Blacksburg campus.

With the school on lockdown, and the memory of the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech on his mind, Pyke never made it to Blacksburg.

Instead, he and his parents continued down to the University of Georgia, where the coveted recruit gave his commitment Friday.

"[Thursday] we were on the way down, and we heard on the radio that there was a guy with a gun," Pyke said. "We called the [Virginia Tech] coaches, and they told us that the school was on lockdown. Obviously they take that very seriously because of what happened four years ago. So we told them it was probably best if we just rescheduled, and we just kept on going down to Georgia."

There, Pyke felt at home, and he made his commitment.

Continue reading "Boys' Latin tackle Pyke commits to Georgia" »

Posted by David Selig at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Devon Porchia has the speed and strength to create trouble as a pass-rushing outside linebacker.

But one of the main reasons the Gilman senior was so heavily recruited -- and committed to Pittsburgh on Friday -- is his ability to also drop back in coverage.

"I definitely feel like it is [important] to be able to drop back in coverage, because most of the soft spots [in a defense] are there," said Porchia, who also had offers from Wake Forest, Cincinnati and Buffalo. "[Coaches] definitely brought that up a lot in talking to me."

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound Porchia has started for Gilman since his sophomore year. He acknowledges being undersized for a college linebacker at this point, but he anticipates redshirting a year to get bigger and also adapt to the Panthers' defensive scheme.

He said he was recruited to play a similar role to the one he now fills for the Greyhounds.

Continue reading "Gilman LB Devon Porchia commits to Pitt" »

Posted by David Selig at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Josh Forney couldn't help but notice a trend developing in the Loyola men's basketball program over the past year.

It started with former Cardinal Gibbons combo guard Dylon Cormier having a standout freshman year for the Greyhounds last season. It continued last December when point guard R.J. Williams – Forney’s teammate at St. Frances – committed to Loyola. Then came a pledge from Milford Mill small forward Tevin Hanner in March, followed by a transfer to Loyola from Xavier by former City standout Jordan Latham in May.

Earlier this week, Forney joined the Baltimore-to-Loyola movement by committing to the Greyhounds.

“It was just something I wanted to get off my chest,” Forney said Thursday. “They were very excited about the commitment. … It’s a real comfortable atmosphere.”

Forney has experience playing with all four of those aforementioned future teammates. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound center teamed with Williams to help St. Frances to the 2010 MIAA A Conference championship. Forney played with Latham during the beginning of his high school career at City. And he suited up with Cormier and Hanner years ago with the Crusader Nation AAU program.

Continue reading "St. Frances' Josh Forney talks Loyola pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Oklahoma was the first college football program to take a chance and offer Charles Tapper a scholarship.

Last weekend, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end rewarded the Sooners’ faith in him by offering his commitment.

“I just thought it was the best choice,” said Tapper, a four-star prospect and 24-7 Sports’ No. 112 player in the 2012 class. “I think they want me at weakside D-end. They said they liked my quickness off the ball, that I’m strong and that I’m a raw talent.”

A well-known basketball standout for City and Nike Baltimore Elite, Tapper was a newcomer last fall to the gridiron. He suited up for the Knights for the first time, and quickly emerged as one of the city’s top talents. His national reputation grew thanks in part to his participation in Next Level Nation’s 7-on-7 program.

Continue reading "Charles Tapper discusses his Oklahoma pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Ask Calvert Hall football coach Donald Davis about wide receiver Trevor Williams' merits, and Davis pauses for a breath before beginning his answer.

The laundry list Davis rattles off is a big reason Williams committed to West Virginia on Thursday.

"As a receiver, he's got all the components," Davis ultimately concluded. "He fits all the criteria [coaches] are looking for. He can play in any offense."

Those components include speed, intelligence, deft route running, reliable hands, strong blocking and the ability to contribute in the return game.

"Overall, he's one of the best prospects I've ever had," Davis said of the 6-foot-2, 190-pound rising senior after confirming his commitment. "He's certainly the best wide receiver prospect I've ever had."

Continue reading "Calvert Hall WR Williams commits to West Virginia" »

Posted by David Selig at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Holiday Inn in Aberdeen wasn't exactly where Devon Branch hoped to be after graduating high school in 2008.

Branch, a first-team All-Harford County selection for the Eagles as a senior, had received interest from George Mason, Tennessee and Virginia Tech for his basketball talents. But when his SAT score came up short of NCAA qualifying standards, Branch decided to take “a year off to mature myself and get ready” for college.

“It was good,” Branch said of his time at the Holiday Inn. “Some days I worked in the kitchen as a dishwasher. Some days I helped the maids make the beds.”

Branch, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard, never stopped working on his game during his year away from school. That work ethic served him well during the 2010-11 season, when he starred as a freshman for the Cloud County Community College team in Concordia, Kan.

Continue reading "Aberdeen grad Devon Branch a JUCO standout" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The way he looked at it, Xavier Makell's senior season was going to punch his ticket to a Division I football scholarship.

Through four games in the fall of 2008, the Forest Park running back had rushed for more than 750 yards and 13 touchdowns, and in the first half of the fifth game, against Poly, he had 90 yards and another score.

Then came the second half kickoff.

Returning the kick, Makell was stepping out of bounds when he noticed the man holding the down marker in his path. Makell tried to leap over the stick, but in doing so, he tweaked his right knee.

He stayed in the game but shortly thereafter "felt a pop." With an torn anterior cruciate ligament, Makell's season was over, and his path to that D-I scholarship was about to get tougher.

Continue reading "Former Forest Park RB Makell commits to Temple" »

Posted by David Selig at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Less than three weeks after leading Maryland 3D's 17-and-under team to the Big Shots Myrtle Beach tournament championship, Lavon Long had an encore performance on the circuit.

This time the rising junior from Mount St. Joseph rejoined 3D’s 16-and-under squad for a Big Shots tournament on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth last weekend. And once again, Long’s team was victorious.

“Lavon Long was the MVP,” said Geoff Reed, coach of the Maryland 3D 16s. “It’s kind of interesting because his role with the 17s is a little bit different. He’s a little bit of a role player for them. They have some guards who can really play. My guards are good, too, but their guards are a little bit older. Basically, he’s the unquestioned leader for us. He does a little bit of everything for us. He handles the ball, rebounds, blocks shots, can shoot the 3 [and] gets to the rim when he wants. I think he’s a kid that’s just kind of figuring out how good he can really be. He’s got kind of a laid-back personality. I think mentally, he’s starting to realize that he can really dominate games on both ends of the floor.”

Continue reading "Gaels' Lavon Long powers Maryland 3D 16s to title" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Travaughn Paschal's path to a Division I scholarship was far more circuitous than the former Arundel football player would have liked.

But after committing to Kentucky last month and preparing to enroll for this fall semester, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive end/linebacker is surely not going to take his opportunity for granted.

Paschal played sparingly his junior year at Arundel, and he only made it through two games his senior season (2008) before breaking his arm at a team dinner.

The players were hanging out in a backyard the day before the third game of the season when one teammate threw a pass into the air. Paschal went up to grab it, not seeing another intended target sprinting in his direction. The other player unintentionally clipped Paschal's legs out from under him, and Paschal landed awkwardly on his arm, ending his season.

"At the time I didn't even want to talk about it," Paschal said. "I hated every time I had to walk past everybody [on the team] with their jerseys on. It was just real frustrating to me."

Continue reading "Former Arundel football player Paschal to Kentucky " »

Posted by David Selig at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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With experience at wide receiver, quarterback and running back, it can be somewhat tough to iron down Samuel Benjamin's role in Mount St. Joseph's offense.

But the coaches at Temple University found a description the Gaels’ rising senior likes quite a bit.

First-year Owls coach Steve Addazio and much of his staff came from the University of Florida. And likening Benjamin's future role on their team to that of former Gators star receiver Percy Harvin was one factor in Benjamin committing to Temple on Monday.

"That was kind of surprising to me," Benjamin said of the comparison to Harvin, one of his favorite NFL players. "I wasn't expecting it. It's a good honor to be compared to a player like Percy Harvin."

Benjamin gave his commitment while on an unofficial visit Monday. He also had verbal offers from Ohio and Marshall and received strong interest from Virginia, Mount St. Joseph coach Blake Henry said.

Continue reading "Mount St. Joe WR Benjamin commits to Temple" »

Posted by David Selig at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Daquan Cook has never set foot on UNLV's campus, but that will change soon enough.

Cook, a rising senior from St. Frances, committed to the Runnin' Rebels on Thursday afternoon. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound combo guard was also recruited by La Salle, Seton Hall, South Florida, Temple and Washington.

"I’ve been thinking [about committing] for a long time now," Cook said. "I’m just glad to get it over with now. It feels good."

Despite never taking a visit to UNLV, Cook said he "didn't feel any pressure" about making his choice. Dwayne Wise, director of the Under Armour-sponsored B'more Finest AAU program, said Cook was sold on first-year Rebels coach Dave Rice.

“Coach Rice, we researched him, and he did really well with Jimmer Fredette … [as the associate head coach] at BYU,” said Wise, whose cousin is Cook’s mother. “We researched the system, researched the school, and that’s the kind of system Daquan would flourish in as a college player. Coach Rice was really influential with that system before taking the UNLV job. As we researched Coach Rice, being that he’s a former player at UNLV, we think he wants to bring that kind of style back to the new UNLV. We felt as though it was the perfect system for Daquan as a point guard to develop.”

Continue reading "St. Frances' Daquan Cook commits to UNLV" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

For McDonogh's Kayel Locke, this summer has been business as usual on the court.

A 6-foot-5, 255-pound power forward, Locke has followed up a standout junior season with a starring role for Nike Baltimore Elite on the AAU circuit. The Eagles star had a breakout performance last week at the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C.

“It was pretty good, getting an opportunity to play in front of a lot of college coaches,” Locke said. “My role is just to pretty much be a leader on the court. … I get out there and rebound, score in the post, score outside the post. I just go out and play hard, do all the dirty work.”

Locke’s shining moment came during NBE’s 78-71 win over Virginia-based Boo Williams on the first night of pool play at the Peach Jam. Locke paced his squad with 23 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes. For the tournament, Locke averaged 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. He shot nearly 48 percent from the field in leading NBE to a 3-2 record.

Continue reading "McDonogh's Kayel Locke starring on AAU circuit" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Xavier Drake, a 2009 Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selection, will play for Baltimore City Community College, Panthers coach Terry Maczko announced this week.

“Xavier was referred to me by Eric Barksdale (Dunbar) who just finished his sophomore season with us,” Maczko said in a news release. “Eric had a really good experience at BCCC and got Xavier interested in the program. He just started playing in a couple of summer leagues with our guys and I think he realizes that we have a chance to have a great season. He’s really looking forward to it.” 

Drake, a 6-foot, 185-pound point guard, was a three-year starter for the Millers. He averaged 15 points, five assists and four rebounds for the Baltimore County champions as a senior.

As a freshman at Hagerstown Community College, Drake averaged 5.7 points and 1.5 assists. He redshirted last year at Grays Harbor Junior College in Aberdeen, Wash. At BCCC, Drake joins former Baltimore high school standouts Sean Farr (Dunbar) and Donte Stuckey (Walbrook).

“What I love about Xavier is he fears no one and wants the ball in his hands in crunch time," Maczko said. "He’s a winner, has a true passion for the game and is super competitive."

2009 Baltimore Sun photo of Xavier Drake

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Marty Lipinski's Maryland 3D 17-and-under basketball team was down a few players heading into last week's Big Shots AAU tournament in Myrtle Beach, but you'd never know it based on the results.

With three class of 2013 players called up for the South Carolina trip, Maryland 3D cruised to the tournament championship game, topping the Texas Cagers in double overtime for the title.

“We never had any practices,” said Lipinski, whose team won six games in three days, culminating with Friday night’s championship. “The organization is pretty much the same thing throughout the age groups. We do that so kids can move between groups and not miss a beat. We were strong right from the very beginning.”

Continue reading "Maryland 3D wins Big Shots tourney in S.C." »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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On Tuesday, Cody Joyce accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Marist. Two days later, the Southern graduate was informed that the Red Foxes were withdrawing the offer.

“They offered him a scholarship and he accepted,” said Pete Medhurst, Joyce’s father. “They called us, welcomed us to the family, [said] ‘Here’s when school starts, when he’ll move in.’ And [Marist coach] Chuck Martin called us [Thursday] afternoon and basically said the athletic director is not letting [them] take Cody.”

Medhurst said Marist athletic director Tim Murray told his wife on the phone that the school couldn’t accept Joyce because they were “over-enrolled.” Efforts to reach Murray through email Friday night were not immediately successful. Coaches are forbidden by NCAA rules from commenting on unsigned prospects.

Continue reading "Marist rescinds scholarship offer to Cody Joyce" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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When Cody Joyce sat down for a post-visit meeting in Marist coach Chuck Martin's office, the Southern High grad couldn't help but brace himself for bad news.

Joyce, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound power forward, was no stranger to disappointment when it came to recruiting. Despite a standout senior season with the Bulldogs, Joyce finished high school with just a smattering of DI interest.

Joyce hoped things would be different with Marist, which hosted him on an official visit earlier this week. But there were no guarantees when the All-Anne Arundel County player chatted with the Red Foxes coach.

“[Martin] said I was going to be successful, I have tremendous upside … and he said that I’m the type of kid that everybody loves to be around. Twenty years from now, he can see me being a very successful person,” Joyce recalled. “[Then] I thought he was going to say, ‘But unfortunately, we’re going to go in a different direction.’ But he said, ‘We’re going to offer you.’ I ended up committing right on the spot.”

Continue reading "Southern forward Cody Joyce headed to Marist" »

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For two-and-a-half weeks, Devante Wallace waited patiently for a phone call that would determine his college future.

The recent Dunbar graduate made an official visit to High Point earlier this month, but the Panthers were considering him and another player with just one scholarship to give. If the High Point offer came through, Wallace planned to commit on the spot. If the High Point coaches decided to offer the other player, Wallace was ticketed for prep school.

On Monday morning, Wallace got the call – and the good news – he had been waiting for.

“They called my father. I was asleep at the time. I just woke up and my father was talking to the coach. I asked him if they offered me and he said yes. Then Coach talked to me and said they were offering me. I was just happy because that was one of the main schools,” said Wallace, who also had interest from Eastern Michigan, Loyola, Mount St. Mary’s, Quinnipiac and UMBC. “It was just exciting that [High Point offered and I committed]. It’s a good feeling.”

Continue reading "Dunbar's Devante Wallace commits to High Point" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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After three years of high school basketball, Sharod Hartgrove has definitely paid his dues.

As a freshman at Walbrook, Hartgrove was the leading scorer on the Warriors’ 2008-09 JV championship team and moved up to the varsity late in the season.

“He didn’t play much,” said former Walbrook coach Greate White, now Forest Park’s head coach. “[But he] came back the following year and started.”

Hartgrove followed White to Forest Park for his junior season, and was the Foresters’ second-leading scorer at 17.5 points per game. Now White hopes that the 6-foot-3, 175-pound combo guard is primed for an even bigger season next winter.

Continue reading "Forest Park's Sharod Hartgrove under the radar" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Charles Tapper has spent the early part of this summer much like every other summer he can remember: playing basketball.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound forward has assumed his regular role as Nike Baltimore Elite’s resident rebounder / enforcer / garbage man. But this run on the circuit for the former City standout is a bit different than in years past. For Tapper, there are no hopes of landing a Division I basketball offer based on his AAU play. He already has plenty of college scholarships on the table thanks to football.

“I love the game of basketball,” Tapper said. “I know this is probably my last year of playing. But it’s fun being back.”

This last hurrah with basketball comes months after his first season of organized football. Tapper joined George Petrides’ Knights and quickly emerged as a physical, athletic presence on the defensive line, and a dynamic pass-catching threat at tight end and wide receiver.

“It wasn’t very easy, but I didn’t think I was going to adapt like I would,” he said.

Continue reading "Charles Tapper adapts to new recruiting status " »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Before Tevin Hanner embarks on a college career at Loyola, the 6-foot-5 wing from Milford Mill will take a one-year detour to prep school.

Hanner, a Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection, decided last month to spend a fifth year at The Phelps School in Malvern, Pa.

“I was OK with it,” said Hanner, who committed to the Greyhounds in March. “Of course, coming straight out of high school, you want to go right to college. But I feel like I was OK with it because there are some things I need to work out – academic-wise, athletic-wise. Another year getting better on both those parts was cool with me.”

Continue reading "Milford Mill's Tevin Hanner headed to prep school" »

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Isaiah McCray had his heart set on Colgate for months, but a late coaching change at the Patriot League school forced the Milford Mill combo guard to alter his college plans.

McCray, a 6-foot-1 senior, felt “hurt” when Raiders coach Emmett Davis was fired in March. The Millers captain and three-year starter gave Davis’ successor a chance, but by then his feelings had changed.

“I didn’t feel a sense of home like I had felt with Coach Davis,” said McCray, who signed with Colgate in November. “I told my parents and … they felt pretty much the same thing. … I just felt like it was time to back out, make better choices, make better moves. It was just time to make changes.”

Fortunately for McCray, several other opportunities arose after he was released from his letter of intent – including one with a Colgate connection. Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne – better known as IPFW – added former Raiders assistant Jon Coffman to its staff.

Continue reading "Milford Mill's Isaiah McCray makes a change" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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With just a handful of Division II and III offers coming out of high school, Lansdowne's Brent Arrington knew he would need a year of prep school to make it to the top level of college basketball.

Thanks to a connection through Cecil Kirk coach Anthony Lewis, Arrington ended up at Southern Sports Academy in Jackson, Miss., more than 1,000 miles away from home.

“At first I was like, ‘Dang, [we] can’t find a school close to home at all?’” Arrington recalled.

Arrington, a 6-foot-3, 176-pound combo guard, eventually got used to the more relaxed pace in the Magnolia State -- so much so that he decided to spend another four years there. Late last month, Arrington signed a letter of intent to play for Mississippi Valley State – a Division I school that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

“I’m just real excited,” Arrington said Thursday. “I’m just ready to go down there and do what I’ve got to do. … Mississippi is far away – a whole different world to me down there. But I got there and it’s cool. It’s very slow, different from Baltimore. It’s just a different experience. There’s not a lot going on down there, [so] it’s easy to focus on basketball and school and everything.”

Continue reading "Former Lansdowne star Brent Arrington goes DI" »

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Jamel Artis isn't afraid to admit that his junior season at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J., fell short of expectations.

The Baltimore native and former Dunbar player had a decent amount of individual success, scoring “about 12 points a game.” He also improved his academic standing. But the Gray Bees, a perennial national power, labored through a 13-12 season.

“We lost a lot of games,” said Artis, who hasn’t decided where he will attend school this fall. “It wasn’t a good fit for me. … But I was one of the major players on the team.”

This spring, Artis is back to his winning ways with some familiar faces by his side in his Nike Baltimore Elite 17-and-under teammates. Artis, a 6-foot-5 ½, 190-pound point guard, guided NBE last weekend to a 5-0 record during the third session of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in Torrance, Calif.

“I think everything went pretty good, [and we] just came out strong,” Artis said. “I knew we were going to get the five wins, so we just came out and played aggressive. Everything came our way. I think everything went well. … The chemistry is very good. Everybody knows their role on the team. Nobody goes off on their own and [everybody] is good to do what they do. That helps, for real.”

Continue reading "Jamel Artis stepping up his game" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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In two years with the Towson men's basketball team, Isaiah Philmore lived through 47 losses and just 14 wins. So when the John Carroll graduate decided to transfer after his sophomore season, playing for a winner was priority No. 1 for him in selecting a new program.

“He’s won everywhere he’s been. He won in high school, he won at the AAU level, he won at camps,” said Delaware Team Takeover president Duane Coverdale, Philmore’s AAU coach. “That’s not taking anything away from Towson. He had a lot of individual success at Towson. Towson made a strong commitment to him, but at the end of the day, that was his first taste of losing.”

Philmore earlier this month narrowed his list of schools to Dayton, Delaware State and Xavier. On Wednesday night, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward committed to the Musketeers – participants in nine of the past 10 NCAA tournaments.

“It’s the most successful of the three [programs], playing high-major basketball in a mid-major conference,” Coverdale said. “They’ve been in the Top 25, Top 15 in the country before. They get to the NCAA tournament on a regular basis, and they not only get there, but they go pretty deep. It’s the kind of winning tradition he wants to be around."

Continue reading "Towson transfer Isaiah Philmore makes his choice" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Time spent at two high schools, prep school and a junior college seemed at times like "a long road" for Alex Jackson to travel to get to a Division I program, but the 6-foot-5, 215-pound forward wouldn't have had it any other way.

On Monday, Jackson – a Frederick Community College standout – committed to Quinnipiac. The former Randallstown star was also recruited by Albany, Hartford, Morehead State, St. Peter's and Sam Houston State.

“It feels good,” Jackson said Tuesday. “I’m glad that I found a place to go that needs me and wants me, and the place to me, really, was perfect. Nice coaches, great atmosphere, great facilities, and most of all, it is a winning program. I’m just so excited right now. I really can’t wait. I wish I could leave today to go to school and get started.”

Continue reading "Ex-Randallstown star Alex Jackson makes his pick" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Sean Farr's decision-making process two years ago was relatively straightforward.

Farr, a 2009 Dunbar graduate, was a two-sport star for the Poets -- a standout wide receiver for the football team, and an athletic wing on the basketball team. While basketball was Farr’s first love, it was clear that his athletic future was on the gridiron.

“I was so highly recruited for football that I wasn’t planning on playing basketball” in college, Farr said.

Much has changed for Farr since then – including his primary sport. After a year of prep school and time spent with two college football teams, Farr has retired his pads and focused his efforts on playing college basketball. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound shooting guard signed a letter of intent this week to play for Baltimore City Community College.

“I fit right in with the team,” Farr said. “It’s mostly players from Baltimore. The team is gritty. Everybody gets along and everyone knows where everyone plays because we played together all the time” growing up.

Continue reading "Dunbar grad Sean Farr makes a change" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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When Jordan Latham decided to leave Xavier after his freshman season, the former City power forward quickly zeroed in on several East Coast programs as potential transfer destinations.

“I visited all the local schools, including Delaware, Towson, Loyola, and I also visited Morgan State University,” said Latham, who appeared in 16 games for the Musketeers this season. “What I did was weigh the pros and cons against each other. Loyola was the best for me.”

Latham, who committed to the Greyhounds on Monday night, averaged just 4.8 minutes and scored eight points in his lone season in Cincinnati. But the former Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selection showed enough promise coming out of high school to earn a four-star ranking from Scout.com and designation as the country’s 20th-best power forward in the 2010 class.

Loyola didn’t seriously recruit Latham – a consensus high-major prospect – the first time around. But Greyhounds coach Jimmy Patsos and assistant coach Luke D’Alessio made him a top priority as soon as he was granted his release from Xavier.

Continue reading "Jordan Latham talks Loyola commitment" »

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Eighteen years in West Baltimore was more than enough for Keron DeShields.

In that time, the former Towson Catholic player saw his father sent to prison for his role in a narcotics operation, dealt with the murder of a former teammate and good friend, and witnessed countless other typical Baltimore tragedies.

So when DeShields, now a 6-foot-2, 177-pound combo guard, developed into a Division I-caliber basketball player, his goal in finding a place to spend the next four years of his life was clear.

“I did not want to be where I could drive home,” DeShields said. “I know my mother would like that, but it’s not for me. I know what I need – [to be] as far away from Baltimore as I can possibly be.”

Last week DeShields – who’s finishing up a post-grad year at Vermont Academy – finally realized that dream by committing to Montana.

“Man, it feels good,” said DeShields, who also considered Longwood. “It’s been a long journey, for real. It was a long journey, but it feels really good. I feel proud to be a part of Grizzly Nation.”

Continue reading "Former Owls guard Keron DeShields going west" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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The first half of Kevin Smith's college career will unfold roughly an hour away from his Baltimore home.

Smith, who led Digital Harbor to the Class 2A state championship last month, signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Frederick Community College on Wednesday.

“Everything was real cool,” Smith said. “[I got] a real clean, cool vibe from them. … [The] people sealed the deal pretty much.”

Smith started his high school career with two prolific seasons at Baltimore Freedom Academy. For his junior year, the 6-foot-1, 196-pound point guard played for Huntington (W.Va.) Prep. In his return to Baltimore last fall, Smith formed a dynamic backcourt duo with junior Daquan Cook, averaging nearly 17 points and eight assists for the Rams.

Continue reading "Digital Harbor's Kevin Smith to stay local" »

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City guard Mike Cheatham originally planned to spend the next four years playing for the Marshall men's basketball team.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior still could end up with the Thundering Herd, but it would have to be two years from now instead of this fall. According to City assistant Tony Biggers, Cheatham is headed to Palm Beach (Fla.) State College.

Biggers said Cheatham still likes Marshall and would like to honor his commitment, but a lot could happen during his next two years at junior college.

Cheatham isn't the only City senior set to play college basketball. Rashaun Rasheed, a 6-5 wing, will play for Division II Wilmington (Del.) University. Edwin Amos, a 6-1 guard, is set for Barry University, a DII school in Miami.

Eric Greer, a 6-5 wing, and Willis Turnipseed, a 6-8 forward, will team up at Division III powerhouse St. Mary's.

City shooting guard Nick Faust signed with Maryland last fall.

Photo of Mike Cheatham by Colby Ware / Special to The Baltimore Sun / Dec. 18, 2010

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Brian Gaia prides himself on being a "blue collar" football player, happily going about his business on Gilman's offensive and defensive lines while letting his more high-profile teammates grab all the headlines.

When it came to recruiting, the Greyhounds junior stuck to that approach, taking a few visits with the hope of reaching a decision on his college future before his senior year began.

Last weekend, Gaia accomplished that goal, committing to Penn State over offers from Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers, Tennessee, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

“It feels good,” Gaia said Monday. “A lot of pressure off me right now.”

Gaia, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle and offensive tackle, was a first-team Baltimore Sun All-Metro selection for his play on the Greyhounds’ offensive line last fall. In State College, Gaia – who recorded 13 tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble – is pegged for the defensive line.

Continue reading "Gilman's Brian Gaia talks Penn State commitment" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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The last time Corey Spence and Derrell Edwards teamed up on the basketball court, Dunbar celebrated the 2010 Class 1A state championship at Comcast Center.

After graduation last spring, the Poets’ star guards went their separate ways, with Spence heading to Maine for a post-grad year at Bridgton Academy, and Edwards going to Levelland, Texas to play for South Plains College.

When Spence fell “a couple points short” on the SAT and missed NCAA qualifying standards, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound point guard decided to reunite with Edwards at junior college. Spence committed to the Texans last week.

“Me and Derrell, we can get back together, playing on the same team again,” Spence said. “I think it’s going to be real fun. It’s an experience I never really [considered], playing college in the same town as him. I really think that’s going to be really exciting.”

Continue reading "Dunbar grad Corey Spence makes his decision" »

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Having a lack of college options was never going to be a problem for Donovan Riley.

The Poly defensive back spent the past several months earning scholarship offers from Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech, with many more potentially on the way.

But for Riley, no current – or future – offers would be able to top scholarship No. 1, which came from the Hokies in late February.

“They were the first school to offer me,” Riley said. “That played a big role in my decision because there were other schools that have shown a lot of interest in me. But Virginia Tech has reached out a little more than the others, and I felt more comfortable with Virginia Tech.”

Riley, a 6-foot, 194-pound junior, committed to Virginia Tech this week. Riley said his family and friends are “very excited. There has been a lot of support that has been extended to me in achieving my athletic as well as academic success.”

Continue reading "Poly's Donovan Riley commits to Virginia Tech" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
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For the past three years, Derrious Gilmore has lived a nomadic basketball existence, bouncing from prep school to one junior college and then another.

The former Lake Clifton standout’s goal through it all was a Division I scholarship – and some much-needed stability.

“It was discouraging. It was hard. It was a rough transition for any young man to go through so many things, with three schools in three years,” said Gilmore, who played at Princeton Day Academy, Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College and Jones County (Miss.) Junior College. “That’s tough to do. But I put all my faith in the Lord. That just keeps my faith. The Lord would see it through. I kept putting my faith in him. It just helped me through the whole situation. It was very discouraging, but I worked hard for it. I felt that I could make it by sticking with it."

Earlier this week, Gilmore’s perseverance finally paid off. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound guard signed a letter of intent to Wyoming, picking the Cowboys over Morgan State and Towson, among others.

“I’ll be part of their family and come in right away and make an impact right away and help turn that program right around,” Gilmore said Friday. “I really just love the coaching staff. They stood out to me and it was [about] trying something new, experience a part of the country that a lot of people from Baltimore never get a chance to see.”

Continue reading "Derrious Gilmore signs with Wyoming" »

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Daquan Cook, Aquille Carr and the rest of U.S. Elite Select Basketball's under-19 team returned home from Italy on Tuesday as champions.

The U.S. team rolled to five wins in three days at the Junior International Tournament in Milan, culminating with an 86-66 victory over Italy’s Basket Rimini Crabs in the championship game Monday.

“We brought the gold home,” said Cook, a 6-foot-1 combo guard from Digital Harbor. “Competition was great. Everybody was strong, big, tall, athletic and fast. Every game was tough. We had to work hard every game.”

Cook saved his best performance for last, scoring a game-high 31 points in the title game. The Rams junior averaged 21 points for the tournament, earning MVP honors for his efforts.

Continue reading "Daquan Cook, Aquille Carr bring home gold" »

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After a sophomore season filled with individual accomplishment but devoid of team success, Isaiah Philmore decided last week to transfer away from Towson.

Philmore, a Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection at John Carroll in 2009, averaged a team-best 15.3 points to go along with seven rebounds per game for the Tigers (4-26) this season. The centerpiece of Pat Kennedy’s 2009 recruiting class was living up to his pre-college hype, but ultimately decided against staying on for the beginning of the Pat Skerry era.

Duane Coverdale -- the director of Delaware Team Takeover and Philmore’s former AAU coach -- said the 6-foot-7 forward is focused on five schools as potential transfer destinations: Dayton, Delaware State, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Xavier.

“He wanted to look at the lows, the mids and the highs, see where he's needed more than wanted, see where he fits in, and then make a decision,” Coverdale said Wednesday. “There are no favorites or anything like that. He just has five schools he's looking at, looking at different variables and making a decision.”

Continue reading "Isaiah Philmore focused on five schools" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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For his first two years of high school, Quentin Judd relied on pickup games and AAU competition to satisfy his basketball fix.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound shooting guard started his high school career in western Baltimore County at Florence Bertell Academy, which didn’t have a basketball program. A chance meeting with Greate White -- who was then coaching at Walbrook -- changed Judd’s basketball fortunes.

“Actually, I was looking at Anton Waters,” White recalled. “I went to see Anton Waters, they played on the same AAU team (Team Melo). I went up to him and wound up landing him. Quentin Judd came in second.”

Judd and Waters headed to Walbrook for their junior and sophomore seasons, respectively. Then White got the coaching job at Forest Park, and both players were on the move again.

For Judd, transferring to Forest Park for his senior year was an easy decision.

“I felt as though it was a way for me to start off something new,” Judd said. “They talk about Dunbar. I felt as though I could start something on the west side with Forest Park.”

Continue reading "Forest Park's Quentin Judd has options" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Coming off a breakout sophomore season for Mount St. Joseph, Kameron Williams had reasonable expectations heading into the first weekend of Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League earlier this month.

“I wanted to play well because Boo Williams [in Hampton, Va.] is a pretty prestigious arena,” said Williams, who plays for Nike Baltimore Elite's 16-and-under team. “And if you have a good showing there, people are going to talk about it. I just wanted to put my name in the mix by having a good weekend.”

Williams accomplished that goal in a hurry. In NBE’s opening-round game against the Iowa Attackers on April 8, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound shooting guard scored 33 points. He followed that up with a 47-point outburst against the Atlanta Knicks the next morning, and 33 later that day in a matchup with the Alabama Challenge. His 47-point game tied Memphis swingman Will Barton’s single-game scoring record for Nike Baltimore Elite.

“I was really excited,” Williams said. “I didn’t expect it to happen so fast. I didn’t expect to be doing that well at this particular time.”

Mount St. Joseph coach Pat Clatchey received a couple of text messages shortly after Williams' 47-point game on April 9. The Gaels coach wasn't even a little bit surprised to hear so many favorable reviews. After a season in which Williams emerged as one of the best sophomores in the state, Clatchey would have believed almost anything positive about his young guard.

Continue reading "Kameron Williams starring on AAU circuit" »

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Two of Baltimore's top high school basketball players are headed overseas this week for the Junior International Tournament.

Patterson sophomore Aquille Carr and Digital Harbor junior Daquan Cook were picked for the U.S. Elite Select Basketball under-19 team, which will play in the JIT Invitational in Milan, Italy.

“Daquan and Aquille have great ability and I think they are valuable assets to our team," U.S. Elite Select coach Chris Chaney said in a news release. "We will play hard and they will have a platform to display their skills in Europe and win the JIT championship trophy."

The team is scheduled to leave for Milan on Thursday. Tournament play begins Friday and runs through Monday.

Carr was The Baltimore Sun All-Metro Player of the Year this winter. He led the Clippers to the Class 4A state championship game, where they fell to North Point.

Cook was a second-team All-Metro selection. In his first season at Digital Harbor, the combo guard guided the Rams to the Class 2A state title.

Baltimore Sun photos of Cook and Carr / 2011

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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While his high school rivals landed scholarship offers and became nationally known prospects, Montray Clemons toiled in relative anonymity, wondering when – if ever – his day in the spotlight might come.

As a high school player, Clemons was an overlooked standout for a middling Poly program. In the spring and summer on the AAU circuit with Cecil Kirk, he was overshadowed by those same highly regarded city players.

“When I was in high school, it was all about [Josh] Selby, Will [Barton] and Roscoe [Smith],” Clemons said. “If you wasn't them, you were under the radar. I wanted that. It came so easy to them. So I just worked harder and it added to the fire.”

After a year of prep school at Mack Academy in Charlotte, N.C., Clemons’ hard work on the court has finally paid off. The 6-foot-7½, 222-pound power forward committed to DePaul on Sunday, picking the Blue Demons over Auburn, Illinois, Tennessee and Texas Tech, among others.

“It feels good to finally know where I'm going,” said Clemons, who will join Baltimore natives Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young on DePaul’s roster. “There’s a lot of opportunity there. When I was [in Chicago for my visit], some of the recruiting class was there. I like the style they can bring to the team. We're the face of rebuilding. We can come in and turn it around and win those games.”

Continue reading "Ex-Poly star Montray Clemons headed to Big East" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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When Forest Park coach Greate White first met Anton Waters, the Calverton Middle School student was just "a tall but skinny kid with an afro."

It wasn’t long before White – who was then coaching at Walbrook – got a chance to see that skinny kid in action on the basketball court. Waters immediately put on a show for his future coach.

“He can rebound and be the best rebounder in the state -- that was my first impression of this kid,” White said. “After awhile, knowing the kid and seeing him work, other things with him besides rebounding were that this kid is very athletic and he has a big heart. He don’t back down from nothing. He wants every challenge.”

Waters -- one of Baltimore's top prospects in the 2013 class -- came off the bench in his first game as a freshman on Walbrook’s varsity last year. In the Warriors’ next game, Waters was added to the starting lineup and never relinquished that spot. He finished his freshman year leading Walbrook in double doubles.

Continue reading "Forest Park's Anton Waters 'owns the court'" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Even before playing in his first varsity game as a freshman at Glenelg Country School, Isaiah Miles had received an inordinate amount of hype.

The scouting report on the now 6-foot-7, 210-pound prospect described an athletic small forward who could put the ball on the floor, block shots and shoot from beyond the arc. Throughout his first two seasons on the Dragons’ varsity, Miles showed flashes of the player that coaches and scouts thought he come become.

This winter, Miles put all those pieces of potential together for one of the best individual seasons in the Baltimore-Washington area.

“I thought he lived up to [the expectations] and I thought he kind of eased into his reputation,” said Kevin Quinlan, Glenelg Country’s first-year coach. “I thought across the season he got better and better. He’s a quiet leader, but I thought he got more comfortable with his role as a leader. I also thought he played really tough down the home stretch, just attacking the glass for us, really lighting it up and scoring. He got better and better as a defender. I think the sky is the limit for Isaiah.”

Any questions about whether or not Miles had taken his game to another level this season were answered Feb. 16 in the Dragons’ MIAA B Conference semifinal against Pallotti. Miles erupted for 31 points, 22 rebounds, and eight blocks, propelling Glenelg Country to a 74-53 win over the Panthers.

Continue reading "Isaiah Miles living up to expectations" »

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In one midseason stretch for the Glenelg Country School boys basketball team, Kevin Quinlan learned everything he needed to know about forward Warren Powers.

On Jan. 21, the Dragons trailed Pallotti by one with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when Quinlan – Glenelg Country’s first-year coach – called timeout. He drew up a play off the inbound pass for Powers, but the 6-foot-5, 210-pound sophomore missed the shot as time expired.

Thankfully for Powers, redemption came soon after defeat.

“We got in a similar situation at the end of the Gilman game at our place, the same scenario,” Quinlan said. “We won that game. He’s that kind of kid. He kept his chin up and executed the play a little bit better. He made the right play. He got the shot off and scored. I was real proud of him for that.”

The missed shot against Pallotti “hurt so bad. That shot really stuck with me and I prayed I’d get another chance or opportunity to do it,” Powers said. “Sure enough … I got the same exact shot [against Gillman], the same floater, and it went right through the hoop. I was so thankful for that opportunity and so happy it happened.”

Sophomore year came with lofty expectations for Powers, but time and time again, he delivered. A first-team all-conference selection, Powers teamed with highly touted junior Isaiah Miles to lead the Dragons to the MIAA B Conference championship.

Continue reading "Warren Powers 'really improved' this year" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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There was little doubt in Eric Savage's mind about where he wanted to play college basketball. The only question for the Old Mill combo guard was whether or not he'd get the SAT score he needed to make it happen.

On Thursday, Savage received notification that he got his score. He celebrated by committing to Shepherd (W.Va.) University.

“I was really excited when I found out,” Savage said. “I just knew I had to get the score to get to play ball somewhere. … There were definitely other schools looking at me, but Shepherd was the school I actually wanted to go to. I just really liked everything about it.”

Savage, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior, also considered McDaniel, Mount Olive (N.C.), Stevenson, UMES and West Virginia State.

Continue reading "Old Mill guard Eric Savage makes his choice" »

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When Damion Lee decided to spend a post-graduate year at St. Thomas More in Connecticut, the Calvert Hall alum had two primary goals in mind: become a more college-ready player, and find a Division I program that was an ideal fit for him.

Lee quickly accomplished his first objective by emerging as one of the top prep school players in the country. On Friday, he completed his second goal by committing to Drexel.

“It feels great,” Lee said Friday. “I’m happy with my decision and I’m glad that I can have some stress relieved from my shoulders.”

The 6-foot-6, 195-pound wing chose the Dragons over offers from East Carolina, La Salle, Loyola Marymount, Northeastern, TCU, Tulane and Valparaiso.

Lee, who originally signed with Towson in November 2010, was an integral part of the senior-laden Cardinals team that won the Baltimore Catholic League tournament championship one year ago. After deciding against joining the Tigers, Lee spent the following summer playing with D.C. Assault on the AAU circuit. He then settled on St. Thomas More – a traditional New England Preparatory School Athletic Council powerhouse – as his next destination.

Continue reading "Calvert Hall grad Damion Lee headed to Drexel" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This winter was a tale of two seasons for Daquan Cook and the Digital Harbor boys basketball team.

Cook was one of several high-profile additions to the Rams’ roster before the season, and the junior combo guard was a major reason for the South Baltimore school’s preseason No. 3 ranking.

Digital Harbor started slow as it struggled to find the right combinations, dropping out of The Sun’s Top 15 poll by January. But Cook said he “was never concerned” about the Rams finding their way.

“I knew our chemistry would come together,” he said. “We just wanted to work harder the second half of the season. We knew what time it was. The second half of the season is where you pick it up, and when the playoffs come, you’ve got to work hard. You can’t take days off in the second half of the season. We put the first half of the season behind us.”

Continue reading "Digital Harbor's Daquan Cook ready for AAU circuit" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Jamel Williams was cautiously optimistic before the start of the spring AAU basketball season.

Nike Baltimore Elite’s 16-and-under coach had great success with the 15-and-under team last year, and returned the core of that team this spring.

“So this year when we started practice, it was like we never missed a beat,” Williams said. “They came back in, knew their teammates, had the structure, and that just carried over from last year.”

Last weekend, Williams’ optimism was affirmed with NBE’s runner-up finish in the New Jersey Spring Fling -- a 32-team tournament featuring some of the top programs on the East Coast.

Nike Baltimore Elite dropped a 76-72 overtime game to the host New Jersey Playaz in the championship game.

Continue reading "Strong start for Nike Baltimore Elite's 16s" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Allen Jackson had no interest whatsoever in getting caught up in a protracted recruiting process.

So the McDonogh defensive end set a self-imposed deadline for making his college choice.

“I didn’t want to wait it out,” Jackson said. “I knew my birthday -- August 4th -- was my cutoff. It was the last day I wanted to be thinking about college. I just wanted to decide and play my senior year and … just enjoy it like a regular high school senior.”

On Saturday afternoon, Jackson beat his deadline by more than four months by committing to Duke during an unofficial visit to Durham, N.C. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior picked the Blue Devils over offers from Maryland, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

The commitment, Jackson said, felt like “the right decision to make” for a variety of reasons.

Continue reading "McDonogh DE Allen Jackson picks ACC school" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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For Tevin Hanner, senior year has been all about leading Milford Mill to its second-straight Class 3A state championship.

With that mission accomplished earlier this month, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound small forward was ready to focus on recruiting. On Monday afternoon, Hanner decided to continue his basketball career close to home by committing to Loyola.

“I felt like it was time,” Hanner said Tuesday. “I felt that it was the perfect fit for me, both academically and athletically. And I felt that based on talking with my family and everything. They felt that I’m ready, so I had to do it. There was no reason to wait.”

Hanner, a Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection, was also recruited by Robert Morris, St. Francis (Pa.) and Towson – before the Tigers made a coaching change. Varsity Sports Network first reported Hanner’s commitment.

Hanner joined the Millers’ JV squad as a freshman before being elevated to varsity by the end of the year. Milford Mill coach Albert Holley called Hanner one of the “hardest-working, most determined players” he has ever coached.

“Tevin’s the kind of player that does it all,” Holley said. “He works hard, he plays hard, he defends, he rebounds, he scores. In practice, he makes all his teammates better. He’s a large part of it.”

Continue reading "Milford Mill's Tevin Hanner picks Loyola" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Dante Holmes may not be where he expected to be at this point in his basketball career, but there’s still plenty of time for him to get there.

A two-time Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection at St. Frances, Holmes was a dynamic wing recruited by several mid- and high-major programs coming out of high school. Holmes committed to Marshall last spring, but after missing NCAA qualifying standards, he had to do a post-grad year instead.

At Oldsmar Christian School near Tampa, Fla., Holmes has made the best out of his prep-school experience.

“He’s been doing real well,” said Carlos Green, a St. Frances assistant and Holmes’ uncle. “He averaged 20.9 points, and they went 30-10. … He shot better than 43 percent from 3-point range. His shot is totally different now.”

Continue reading "St. Frances grad Dante Holmes looking for best fit" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Jon Browne went to bed early Sunday, weary from attending a St. Patrick's Day parade and seeking a good night's rest before another day of school at Oakland Mills.

When the Scorpions coach awoke to seven missed calls and several text messages, he thought, “what in the world happened last night?”

Browne quickly discovered what all the fuss was about. Greg Whittington, who led Oakland Mills to a 25-1 season, made an earlier-than-expected commitment, picking Georgetown over Clemson, DePaul, Maryland and Texas.

“I just realized that Georgetown was the best fit for me, so I might as well just commit now,” Whittington said. “I’ll be able to see the world at Georgetown, too.”

Continue reading "Greg Whittington talks Georgetown commitment" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
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For nearly two hours at the Gossett Team House in College Park on Thursday, Roman Braglio played the role of highly touted recruit and resident state expert.

A lifelong Baltimorean, Braglio chatted with Maryland coach Randy Edsall, inside linebackers coach Keith Dudzinski and defensive line coach Greg Gattuso about football and much more.

“All the coaches are new here so we talked about restaurants, places to live, just normal conversation,” Braglio said. “It was just real apparent that they were not just trying to get to know me as a football player, but as a person, too.”

Braglio, a defensive end from McDonogh, said he had no intention of committing to the Terps last week. But after the sitdown with the three Maryland coaches, Braglio had a sudden change of heart.

Continue reading "McDonogh's Roman Braglio talks Terps pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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A frequently traveled path for starters on the Boys' Latin lacrosse team goes from high school graduation to a spot on a Division I college roster.

Lakers attackman Greg Pyke could easily follow that route when he finishes high school in 2012. But the 6-foot-5, 315-pound junior has other plans in mind.

“My brother played lacrosse in college [at North Carolina], and my sister [played at James Madison],” Pyke said. “But I’m just built for football. I fit football more easily. I feel more comfortable there. Being a big guy, with lacrosse I kind of feel out of place. But in football, I just like hitting.”

Pyke has done his fair share of that while starting both ways for the Lakers these past two seasons. While Pyke is a more highly rated recruit for lacrosse -- Inside Lacrosse ranks him the No. 8 player in the 2012 class -- plenty of major college football programs are hoping to land the versatile offensive tackle.

Continue reading "Plenty of options for Boys' Latin OT Greg Pyke " »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Before Jon Schmidt's senior season at the Friends School began, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward sat down with Quakers coach Bill Pace to formulate a list of college programs that had piqued his interest.

“We talked about a very small list of schools,” said Pace, a first-year coach at the MIAA B Conference school. “But his educational priorities were [clear]. He knew what he wanted to do.”

What Schmidt – an A student with law-school aspirations – wanted to do was play basketball at an Ivy League school. That goal is now a reality for Schmidt, who will head to Providence, R.I., in the fall to play for Brown.

“It’s just really fantastic,” Schmidt said. “It’s what I’ve wanted since I probably [started] high school. I’ve been working really hard to attain that, and now … I’ve got to work hard, get back in the gym and train so I can play. It’s another motivator for me to keep working hard.”

Schmidt, who averaged about 24 points, 14 rebounds and three assists for the Quakers this winter, committed to the Brown coaches “a couple weeks ago.” But his pledge was firmed up Monday when he received his “likely letter” – which all but assures his acceptance into the school – in the mail.

Continue reading "Friends' Jon Schmidt headed to Ivy League" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Mike Cheatham toured Marshall's campus, met with coaches, and experienced everything else that is generally expected to take place during a college visit.

But when it came time for the City guard to depart from Huntington, W.Va., and return home to Baltimore last weekend, there was one last thing he needed to do.

“When I was about to leave [I committed],” Cheatham said. “The campus is good and the town is good. It’s like an overall [nice] environment there. So I can develop things on and off the court.”

A 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior, Cheatham also received interest from Drexel, Iona, Robert Morris and UNLV, among others. His commitment was a welcome surprise to the Thundering Herd coaching staff.

“They were pretty excited that I was coming because they really need some extra players to come in and produce for the team,” Cheatham said.

Continue reading "City's Mike Cheatham headed to Marshall" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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In helping Calvert Hall to the 2010 MIAA A Conference championship, Da’Quan Davis became a household name among local high school football followers.

In guiding MD Dream to a second-place finish at the BadgerSports 7-on-7 tournament at Rutgers last weekend, the Cardinals cornerback raised his profile once again, with one recruiting website calling him one of the rising stars of the 2012 class.

“It was a great experience to play against some of the top athletes in the nation,” Davis said. “It was great competition up there. … I feel as though it is essential to go to different places and show your face. You want to see everything that’s out there. That’s where the recruiters and scouts are, and the best of the best that compete at different events. Going against guys from out of the state, if I want to be the best, it’s a chance to go out and compete against the best.”

Davis played opposite Poly defensive back Donovan Riley to form a shutdown secondary for MD Dream. The pair’s performance was no surprise to those who have watched them closely.

Continue reading "Calvert Hall CB Da'Quan Davis raises his stock" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Since leading Calvert Hall to the Baltimore Catholic League tournament championship one year ago, there have been "no days off" for Donya Jackson.

The 2010 BCL Tournament MVP stepped away from the local spotlight after graduation and packed his bags for a post-grad year at Mercersburg Academy. At the Pennsylvania prep school, Jackson has prepared for a college career at the Naval Academy by improving his academics and his game. Developing into a more potent scorer was a top priority for the two-time BCL Defensive Player of the Year.

“I worked on my offensive game a whole lot because I didn’t want to be one-dimensional,” Jackson said. “I didn’t want to just be a stopper. I wanted to be able to stop someone and make it tough for them [to defend] me on the offensive end. … [Prep school] gave me the opportunity to go ahead and do some more things on the offensive end. It’s helped me a whole lot.”

Continue reading "Prep school helps Donya Jackson 'a whole lot'" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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With a hobbled Davon Usher plagued by an "irritated herniated disc" in his back, Polk State College limped to a 3-10 start to its 2010-11 men’s basketball campaign.

When the former Digital Harbor wing returned to full strength, the Vikings’ fortunes changed dramatically.

“What happened was after Christmas, when he became healthy, we’re 14-3 since,” said Polk State coach Matt Furjanic. “So I guarantee you a lot of that happened because he’s healthy now and doing a great job for us.”

A 2010 Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selection, Usher had planned on spending his college career at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. But when the 6-foot-6 prospect couldn’t get through the NCAA Clearinghouse, junior college became his best option. Furjanic said he found out about Usher’s availability thanks to some college coaches here in Baltimore.

“We’re lucky to have him. We’re really lucky,” Furjanic said. “The assistant coaches at Towson are good friends of ours. They told us about him in the summer. He wasn’t getting the grades. Corpus-Christi backed off when he didn’t get through the clearinghouse. So the coaches from Towson called us and said, ‘Listen, you’ve got to look at this kid. He can really play.’ We signed him [in] like July.”

Continue reading "Davon Usher hitting stride at JUCO in Fla." »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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During the first week of January each year, the most promising junior football prospects in the country converge on San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl combine.

The invitation-only event has long served as a springboard to national notoriety. Last year, Owings Mills’ Donovan Smith went from an unknown offensive tackle to one of the most heavily recruited linemen in the country.

This year, it was Poly defensive back Donovan Riley’s time to turn some heads. The 6-foot, 190-pound prospect earned rave reviews from scouts, including one analyst who thought he had an MVP-worthy performance.

“That was a test of all the hard work I had been doing,” Riley said. “There was great talent from across the country, which I eventually competed against. I ran a good 40 time -- a 4.5 -- and I competed well against some of the top receivers in the country in the 1-on-1 [drills]. I was able to meet a lot of the [best] 2012 football players from across the country and make friends. It was definitely a great experience, which I look forward to again.”

Continue reading "Hard work paying off for Poly's Donovan Riley " »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Steve Green is no stranger to recruiting in Baltimore.

Green, the veteran men’s basketball coach at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, has sent three Baltimore natives to Division I schools in the past seven years, most recently former Douglass guard Itchy Bolden (Morgan State).

Green was back in Baltimore last year when he got word that Dunbar shooting guard Derrell Edwards wasn’t going to end up at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Edmondson forward Stanton Kidd, however, emerged as an unexpected bonus.

“It was more of a coincidence than anything,” Green said. “We knew about [Edwards], visited him and saw the other. He was playing there at the same time. And we just went after both of them then. It wasn’t a ploy from the beginning.”

Edwards and Kidd both signed on to play for the Texans, and are nearing the end of their freshmen seasons. “I think they’re talented guys and good basketball players with good basketball IQ,” Green said. “They’ve been brought up in a pretty tough basketball environment with good competition.”

Continue reading "Derrell Edwards, Stanton Kidd doing well in Texas" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The calls to Jon Browne's cell phone started last summer. At first, it was mostly mid-major Division I programs calling to express interest in Greg Whittington, the Oakland Mills coach's star player.

Then came a trip with HCYP Elite in late July to the AAU Nationals in Orlando, where Whittington powered his rec-center squad to a stunning third-place finish.

“After Orlando, it was just the beginning,” Browne said. The phone “just never stopped ringing.”

Seven months later, the recruitment of Whittington has reached another level. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward now has his pick of high-major offers.

“If you haven’t heard of him by now, you haven’t been doing your homework,” Browne said. “He’s national now. Washington, we’ve been in touch a couple times. Texas came to a practice, [and] Texas should be back this week. Maryland, daily contact with them. Georgetown is in daily contact with me. Clemson, daily contact. DePaul is very involved. They come out a lot, talk to me daily. These are teams that really want him. So we’re just waiting until the end of the season to take some trips, get on campus and meet teammates.”

Continue reading "Greg Whittington has plenty of options" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (42)
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When Cory Robinson finished his football career at Central Connecticut State, the former Cardinal Gibbons defensive back headed home to Baltimore with hopes of giving back to his community.

Now a counselor at Bluford Drew Jemison Academy and Calvert Hall’s secondary coach, Robinson has accomplished just that. The 23-year-old has teamed with fellow Cardinal Gibbons grad Devin Redd to start Next Level Nation -- a nonprofit organization that holds football combines and showcases, taking a “hands-on approach to the development of student-athletes.”

Next Level Nation is “creating a fraternity of elite athletes that have a respect for one another, but are also chasing the same dream and have the same goals,” Robinson said. “We’re putting it in their hands and helping in anyway. If they commit themselves to what we’re teaching, [we’ll show them] what it takes to get to the next level.”

Among Next Level Nation’s success stories of the 2011 class were Calvert Hall safety Adrian Amos (Penn State), DeMatha defensive lineman Kendall Patterson (Buffalo), Owings Mills offensive tackle Donovan Smith (Penn State) and Calvert Hall defensive tackle Dan Yarborough (Shepherd). Several Next Level Nation alumni were in attendance Saturday in Landover at an All-Nation Showcase Series event.

Robinson spoke to Recruiting Report about some of the Baltimore area’s top 2012 talents that participated in the event.

Continue reading "McManus highlights Next Level Nation event" »

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When playing college football wasn't an option, Kiero Small turned to the family business.

At The T-Spot – Johnny Stith’s T-shirt shop near Lexington Market on Saratoga – Small helped his father with whatever he needed, getting a crash course in the daily grind of the retail-clothing trade.

It was a long way from where Small had hoped to be as a senior running back and linebacker at Cardinal Gibbons. A Baltimore Sun first-team All City selection in 2006, Small missed NCAA Division I qualifying standards coming out of high school, and then again following a prep-school season.

While living at home and working for his father, Small was initially content, and not “really thinking about [playing college football]. I was like, ‘It just didn’t work out.’”

Said Stith: “It was pretty much a crossroads in his young life – the direction as to which way he wanted to go. Had it been 9-to-5-ing it, had it been school, if he wanted to retire the cleats in general, personally, to me, it wouldn’t have made a difference. … Once he made [his] decision, I backed him fully, 100 percent.”

The choice that Small, 21, made more than two years ago was the first step in his unlikely journey – four years after the completion of his senior season at Gibbons – to major college football. Small, now a 5-foot-10, 255-pound sophomore fullback at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif., signed a letter of intent to Arkansas on Signing Day last Wednesday.

Continue reading "Kiero Small takes long road to Arkansas" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Calvert Hall safety Adrian Amos signed with Penn State on Wednesday, picking the Nittany Lions over Connecticut and West Virginia. Click on the video player below for his announcement:

Posted by Matt Bracken at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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We've known for some time that Gilman offensive lineman Hunter Goodwin (Wake Forest), Boys' Latin defensive end Marco Jones (Virginia) and Owings Mills offensive tackle Donovan Smith (Penn State) would sign with Football Bowl Subdivision schools today.

We also found out today that Gilman athlete Darius Jennings was bound for Virginia. At around 2:45 p.m., Calvert Hall safety Adrian Amos will become the fifth Baltimore-area player that signs with an FBS school, when he decides on either Connecticut, Penn State or West Virginia.

But those five weren't the only local football players to land college scholarships. Here's a list of the expected signees from the area:

Continue reading "Looking at local football signings" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Gilman quarterback Darius Jennings has committed to Virginia, picking the Cavaliers over Ohio State and Wake Forest.

The Baltimore Sun's All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year had also considered Maryland, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Boston College and Connecticut before trimming his list to three.

The Baltimore Sun's Katherine Dunn will have more on Jennings' commitment later today.

The next local player to watch is Calvert Hall safety Adrian Amos, a first-team All-Metro selection. A three-star prospect, Amos has narrowed his list to Penn State, West Virginia and Connecticut -- where he originally committed. Amos' announcement is scheduled for 2:45 p.m.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The opportunity to play for a perennial Football Championship Subdivision title contender – and attend a school with "a lot more girls" than your average service academy – made Colin Osborne's decision to commit to James Madison last August an easy one.

Backing out of that commitment to attend the Naval Academy, however, proved nearly as simple. Osborne, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back from Glenelg, switched from the Dukes to the Midshipmen last week – a decision he made based primarily on education.

“I want to be sure I’m guaranteed a job after college,” Osborne said. “I want to make sure that I’m set. With Navy, I knew that I’d be set when I graduate with some type of job. … My head wasn’t really into education [at first]. It was more into JMU and living the free life. But then I had to get my head on straight. It’s more about education, and Navy offered that. I knew I would have a better opportunity there than at JMU because the job economy today isn’t that great.”

Osborne, who rushed for 1,885 yards and 18 touchdowns on 246 carries as a senior, started hearing from the Navy coaches on a regular basis shortly after the conclusion of his season. With a brother currently serving his plebe year at the academy and a father that’s a 24-year veteran of the Navy, it didn’t take much convincing for Osborne to schedule an official visit to Annapolis.

Continue reading "Glenelg's Osborne follows 'family destiny' to Navy" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Shortly after Maryland hired Randy Edsall away from Connecticut, Adrian Amos withdrew his commitment to the Huskies.

Now with Signing Day just about two weeks away, the Calvert Hall safety is taking steps toward making a final college decision.

“He is going to take his West Virginia visit, probably this weekend,” Cardinals coach Donald Davis said. “And then we’ve got to decide whether he’s going to Vanderbilt, possibly that next weekend.”

West Virginia was the runner-up in Amos’ recruitment when he committed to the Huskies in late August. Vanderbilt got involved after former Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin was named the Commodores’ new coach. There’s also a chance Amos ends up at UConn after all, although it's unlikely he'd visit Storrs again.

Continue reading "Calvert Hall's Adrian Amos still on the market" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local recruiting